Spinning mule



Nov. 27 1923.

R. ROTH SPINNING MULE Filed Nov. 16. 1922 Patented Nov. 2?, was,

' means RENE ROTH, OF MULHOUSE, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB TO SOCIETE ALSACIENNE DE CON- STRUCTIONS MECANIQUES, OF MULHQUSE (I-IAUT-BHIN), FRANCE.

SPINNING MULE.

Application filed November 16, 1922. Serial No. 601,360.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROTH, engineer, 23 Rue de Bale, Mulhouse, Hautdthin, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Spinning Mules, of which the following is a specification.

Thread spinning mules are known the driving shaft of which receives (from an individual driving motor or from a motion shaft) a continuous and uniform or substantially uniform movement of rotation for all the cycles of operation. Spinning mules of this kind utilize various mechanisms to obtain from this driving shaft the control of the movement of other parts. Among these means may be mentioned, for example, for driving the spindles a differential movement forming the subject of the prior French Patent No. 445,275 and the patents of addition thereto Nos. 17.526 and 19,701, and for the control of the rollers and of the displacement of the carriage the mechanism forming the subject of my French Patent No. 524,543.

The improvement forming th subject of the present invention has for its object to reduce the power absorbed by the mule at the commencement of each twisting cycle, that is to say, at the times of maximum load, and in general to afford great flexibility to the starting movement of the mule and to its operation. while increasing the production of the mule, because the flexibility desired at the commencement of the outward run of the carriage for the period of twisting will be such that for certain yarns the speed of this outward run may be increased.

This improvement is essentially characterized in this that the driving shaft of the mule is operated (by an individual driving motor or a motion shaft) through the medium of a declutching or slip-providing mechanism, and in this that at the commencement of each period of twisting and for a short time this mechanism is actuated in such manner as to permit or facilitate slip between the motor or the mot-ion shaft and the driving shaft of the mule. In consequence of the suppression or momentary reduction of the driving couple the speed of the driving shaft on the mule falls at the commencement of each, period of twisting. This reduction in speed of the driving shaft and of the moving parts which it drives liberates a part of the accumulated kinetic energy, which assists the driving motor or the motion shaft and ensures a flexible and progressivetake up at the commencement of each period of twisting. All the movements released by the driving shaft at the commencement at each of its periods (movement of the rollers, outgoing movement of the carriage, etc), benefit from its flexibility ensured by the temporary slip permitted to the driving shaft.

Advantage may be taken of the declutching mechanism interposed between the driving shaft of the mule and its motor or motion shaft to effect the starting of this motor or this motion shaft, the mule being completely declutched, and also to arrest the latter by complete declutching without the necessity for stopping at the same time its motor or its motion shaft. These latter advantages are of importance, notably with individual driving motors, since the latter may be started not under load; for example the use of electric induction motors of the squirrel cage rotortype is facilitated. The starting of the mule may thus be rendered as progressive as required, thanks to the progressive manipulation of the clutch mechanism or slip-permetting means, a condition exceedingly favourable to the avoidance of breakage of the thread or to the avoidance of other incidents liable to occur in starting.

The accompanying figure of drawing is a diagrammatic elevation of a spinning mule to which the invention is applied. Only those parts of the mule are shown'which are necessary for an understanding of the in vention. It is assumed that the mule is fitted with an individual driving motor A, driving by means of a belt B the driving shaft C of the mule. V

In accordance with the invention between the motor A and the driving shaft Cof the mule is interposed a declutching or slip-providing mechanism, constituted in this instance by a guide roller or jockey pulley D acting on the belt B. The pulley D, carried by an arm forming part of a three-armed lever E concentrically connected with the shaft of the motor A, is normally pressed against the belt 13 in such manner as to ten-. sion it by means of regulatable counterweights such as F and G. In accordance witli the invention the belt B is slackened for a short time at thecommencement of each period of twisting. In the arrangement shown this is automatically effected by the following mechanism. The carriage P is provided with a regulatable abutment H, which in the position occupied thereby at the commencement of each period of twisting bears on a lever 1 carried by the headstock and causes it to pivot about its aXis J in this movement the lever I pulls on a chain K or the like, causing t-hesystem carrying the pulley D to turn in the direction of the arrow 1, thus slackening the belt B.

On commencement of the outgoing movement of the carriage the abutment H moving away from the lever I, the latter returns progressively to its initial position, slackening the chain K, which permits the pulley to press progressively against the belt and thus, with the desired flexibility permits the complete connection of the shaft C and its motor A.

The adjustment of the abutment H, of the initial position of the lever I, of the length of the chain K, of the member (spring, for example) used, if desired to return the lever I to its position in which engagement is complete, permit of fixing at will the time during which the shaft C may slip, the graduation of declutching and of re-engagement and the moment at which these movements commence.

Manual control of the pulley D permits of raising it'to stop the mule without stop ping the motor. This operating means may consist of a rod L operated from the small end of the head-stock and acting on the lever 1 through the medium of an eccentric M. By pushing the rod in the direction of the arrow 2 deolutching is effected; to start the mule, the motor A-being'first set in rotation, it is sufiicient to pull the rod gradu ally in the direction of the arrow 3. so as gradually to press the pulley D against the belt and thus obtain progressive movement of the mule without erks. The adjustment of the counter-weights F and Gen two arms of the lever E on opposite sides of its piv oting aXis permit of regulating at will the rapidity with which the belt B is put in tension when the chain K is slackened, and, consequently, of regulating the acceleration of the mule in starting and at each outgoing movement of the carriage.

As will be clear, the invention is quite independent of the mechanism adapted for driving the various parts of the mule by the continuously rotating driving shaft A. In the drawing have been shown only dia grammatically the driving of .the spindles by the twistwheel N keyed on the shaft C and which produces by means of ropes for example a movement of the differential U of the kind referred to at the commencement of the specification and carried by the carriage The invention is applicable whatever the method of driving the shaft A, by an individual driving motor or by a motion shaft, and whatever may be the declutching or slip-providing mechanism interposed between them. For each drive one or more types of declutching or slip-providing mechanism would be convenient; the selection which should be made in each instance from among known mechanisms will be obvious to persons skilled in the art, utilizing the well-known principles of transmission.

and, by analogy, the indications given above.

The mechanism shown in the drawing for automatic and for manual control of the dcclutching or slip-providing mechanism is given only by way of example. Any equivalent means may obviously be employed.

What I claim is:

1. In a spinning mule driven from a continuously rotating motion shaft or individual motor, the combination of progressive declutching or slip-providing mechanism interposed between the motion shaft or the individual. motor and the mule driving shaft, with .regulatable means carried by the mule carriage for operating this mechanism so as to declutch the mule driving shaft at the end of the return movement of the carriage, and so as to progressively re-engage the said driving shaft at the beginning of the outward run ofthe said carriage, and with hand operated means for actuating this mechanism at any moment so as to stop or to start the spinning mule.

2. In a spinning mule driven from a continuously rotating motion shaft or individual motor, the combination of a progressive declutching or slip-providing mechanism interposed between the motion shaft or the individual motor and the mule driving shaft, of a regulatable abutment carsaid mechanism so as to first cause the de-' clutching of the driving shaft of the said spinning mule at the end of the return movement of the carriage, and to afterwards cause the progressive re-engagement of the said shaft. so that the complete engagement is effected at a predetermined position in the movement of the carriage.

3. In a spinning mule driven from a continuously rotating mot-ion shaft or individual motor, a belt passing around a pulley on the motion shaft and around a corresponding pulley on the driving shaft of the mule, a counterweighted lever pivoted on the motion shaft and carrying a pulley for tightening the said belt, and means actu ated by a regulatable abutment carried by the carriage for moving the said counterweighted lever and slackening the said belt.

4:. In a spinning mule the shaft of which is driven from a continuously rotating motion shaft or individual motor, a belt passing around a pulley on the motion shaft and around a corresponding pulley on the driving shaft of the mule, a counterweighted lever pivoted on the motor shaft and carrying a pulley for tightening the said belt, a lever pivoted on the mule, a flexible means of connection between the oounterweighted lever and the latter lever, and a regulatable abutment carried by the mule carriage for engaging the said lever near the end of the return movement of the said carriage, and for releasing the said lever at a predetermined point of the outward movement of the carriage, in combination with a member 15 independent of the abutment and which may be actuated manually so as to engage or release the said lever at any moment for the RENE ROTH. Witnesses:

MARTHE STEINEBRUN, WILLIAM G. Srromm. 

